TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Combining Japan’s raw materials and equipment with Taiwan’s manufacturing capabilities would be the ideal fit for the semiconductor industry, Japan’s deputy envoy in Taipei Hattori Takashi said Saturday.

The diplomat described Taiwan as the “world’s leading manufacturing base” for semiconductors, per Radio Taiwan International. Japan, he said, plays a crucial role in providing chipmaking equipment and materials, making closer cooperation beneficial for both technological development and economic security.

Hattori was speaking at a two-day symposium on economic nationalism and the technology cold war hosted by National Chengchi University in Taipei. Other academics at the event also recommended Taiwan-Japan collaboration on investing in third countries and managing joint R&D and innovation projects.

Taiwan Japan Academy President Li Shui-hui (李世暉) said that in response to tariffs from the Trump administration, Taiwan and Japan should strengthen cooperation in technology policy and talent training. AI and semiconductors, he added, are areas where the two countries’ supply chains can integrate to boost competitiveness in an era of technological nationalism.